By: Mordicai

 

Robert Altman’s name is analogous to politics and religion: you’re bound to get strong reactions upon mentioning him among mixed company. His work is divisive, and certainly not for all tastes, his previous (and perhaps his most accessible) work, M.A.S.H withstanding. A true standout from the weird 70’s; they won’t make movies like this now - hell, it was odd even for the time. Except for the enlightened few, modern audiences certainly don’t have the attention span to watch a movie that has such a short attention span itself. It’s one of those rare films that cannot be easily explained, but must be a subjective experience. That being said, I’ll give it a shot.

 

My first job was like this, too.

 

Brewster McCloud is Altman’s quirky, schizophrenic parody of the Icarus theme, where the title character literally seeks to build a set of wings and soar away from the crowded world of crazies and Texans around him (it does take place in Houston, after all). Sally Kellerman shines as Louise, Brewster’s guardian, making buffoons of all who impede her apprentice’s progress. A fallen angel, she retains the scars of her former eminence and, so liberated, is able to murder, steal and otherwise grin nefariously at the chaos rippling in her wake. An enigmatic raven, however, remains his first line of defense, conveniently intervening with lethal deus ex machina poops.

 

You have to pay good money downtown for this kind of treatment..

 

Brewster nests in the basement of the Houston Astrodome, a bookish and rosy-cheeked young lad, whose pursuit of flight begins to stack up a body count. Cracker Jack San Francisco detective Frank Shaft is brought in by the local, bumbling authorities to solve the case. Renee Auberjondois, from TV’s ‘Benson’ and ‘Deep Space Nine’ appears occasionally, and voices over frequently as a college lecturer, providing a parallel subtext, while evolving increasingly more avian features as Brewster nears his goal.

 

Adding to the complexity of Brewster’s endeavor, he meets Altman regular Shelly Duvall in her first film role. She is the Biblical Tree of Knowledge, the forbidden consummation with all he desires to escape. His relationship with Louise suffers at this point. One gets the impression that it may have been love or sexual desire that originally stripped her of her ability to fly, and now her desire to soar vicariously through Brewster becomes compromised by ditsy, earthly flesh.

 

Pure Altman.

 

BMCC is a mixed bag of non sequitur vignettes, many at the expense of the ‘square’ establishment. There are a number of drug references and ‘stick it to the man’ jokes. The film bludgeons the viewer with metaphor, sexual and otherwise. Brimming with sharp dialog, some of it wry and racially instigating, making obvious commentary on the contemporary state of racial relations. They just don’t make them like that anymore – what a shame.

 

At one point, a compulsory wacky 70’s car chase scene interrupts the flow of the film, true to the director’s style. Altman is like a hyperactive child who cannot remain still and must showcase some form of climaxing insanity to befuddle his audience. The director wants you to know who holds the strings, and whatever notions the viewer has of narrative structure or fluidity of mood are yanked out from under him. Tender moments are often followed by slapstick, and then chaotic scenes ensue, reminiscent of an episode of the ‘View’ where characters are all chattering over one another.

 

The cast is a who’s who of 70’s off-brand cinema. Bud Cort, of course, in all his Bud Cortishness delivers a delightfully odd performance, foreshadowing his next work, Harold and Maude. Altman ladies, Sally Kellerman and Shelly Duvall are joined by cult actress Jennifer Salt as Brewster’s would-be girlfriend. An unrecognizable Stacy Keach, in fantastic makeup, awards the film a hilarious performance as Brewster’s employer, a miserly ancient millionaire. Gifted actor Michael Murphy is fine as the driven Lt. Shaft.

 

Brewster McCloud is like a toddler with a harelip, it’s sort of cute, weird, and you’re not always sure of what it’s trying to say. Manic and heavily tongue-in-cheek, much like Brewster, you might not be sure if it flies in the end. However, I loved it, because I like Altman. This film must have been quite a risk, and therefore telling of the man himself. I’m sure this wasn’t easy to make, and I would give anything to have been in the room when they pitched this one.

 

I strongly encourage anyone who enjoys a foray into the bizarre to check it out. This film is certainly a litmus test… for what, however, I am not entirely sure.

 

Rating: 4/5 AMC Gremlins

 

 

 

 

 

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